What some people may not know is this timeless tune was performed by two Indian sisters, Helen and Irene Savari.
Performing under the name “Cenderawasih”, they were a popular local pop duo in the 1980s, with their first album, “Cenderawasih Volume 1 – Sepanjang Perjalanan Ini”, released in 1984, having achieved gold status.
The duo experienced a slight resurgence recently after young listeners discovered their music and expressed awe on social media that two Indian sisters could perform a Malay song so beautifully.
FMT Lifestyle chatted with Irene in Setapak, Kuala Lumpur, recently. Helen (now Savari-Renold) resides in Switzerland and joined the conversation via Zoom.
“I’m not on social media but my mother is, and she’s been getting a lot of things sent to her about us recently. And we’re very happy that after 40 years, people are listening to this song again,” Irene shared.
“We’re surprised that there are still people interested in us after all this time. It’s very humbling,” Helen added.
The sisters grew up in Taman Tun Dr Ismail in Kuala Lumpur. Their parents worked in insurance, and their mother, an avid music lover, was fond of having guests over for dinner.
“We were always the entertainment. After dinner, we would sing something for them. So we had a ready audience who had to listen to us – there was no other place to go!” Irene said with a laugh.
The two eventually went on to perform at clubs and hotels under the name “The Phoenix”. Helen would play the guitar and Irene the keyboards.
The siblings soon began to build a following. Part of their success was due to their ability to sing in 13 different languages, including Malay, Chinese, Tagalog, Italian, German and Japanese.
One day, while performing at the former Merlin Hotel (now Concord Hotel) in KL, they caught the eye of legendary producer S Atan, who had worked on songs for the likes of Sudirman Haji Arshad and Sharifah Aini. He gave the sisters the opportunity to sign up with EMI Records.
“He did a lot of work to convince the company to sign a non-Malay group singing Malay songs. There were a lot of meetings back and forth. But S Atan really fought for us,” Irene recalled.
The sisters also credit their success to their mother, Nalini Matilda Appan Iyengar, who quit her job to serve as their manager. They describe her as a smart and feisty woman who helped them rise to the top of their careers.
Given that they would be performing Malay songs, it was suggested they change their name. The sisters thus went from being The Phoenix to Cenderawasih, also the name of a mythical bird.
Their first album, featuring the popular song “Deritamu Deritaku”, was a hit. This led to “Bersama Di Hari Raya” being released the following year.
“I like the song’s lyrics,” Irene said in reflection. “It talks about someone who is away from family, looking forward to coming home and seeing their loved ones. Melody-wise, I think it’s not very complex, so it’s easy for everyone to sing along to.”
Two other albums followed: “Cenderawasih Volume 2” (1985) and “Cenderawasih Vol 3” (1986).
In the 1980s, they recalled, there had been many non-Malay groups performing Malay songs and vice-versa. As such, their performances were not seen as out of the ordinary.
“We didn’t have the divide that we seem to have today. In some ways, I miss the old days,” Irene mused.
Onward and upward
Both Irene and Helen went on to further their studies at the illustrious Berklee College of Music in Boston. There, Helen met her future husband, Swiss saxophonist Fritz Renold.
She ended up moving to Switzerland and Cenderawasih officially disbanded in 1990.
The Savari sisters still continued on music-related pathways. Irene is the president and CEO of the International College of Music in Kuala Lumpur, while Helen is a producer who has been involved with the Jazzaar Festival, which she co-founded with her husband in 2001.
Helen is also the co-producer of the 2023 Grammy-nominated album “Remembering Bob Freedman” by Ron Carter & The Jazzaar Festival Big Band.
Both sisters believe Malaysia is a melting pot of talent and want nothing but the best for the local music industry.
“We look at all Malaysians as family, regardless of race or background. All of us can contribute to help us prosper,” Helen said.
Then there’s the million-ringgit question: might Cenderawasih ever perform together again?
“Our fans keep requesting that,” Irene said with a laugh. “We have nothing planned yet. But we would be very happy if there was an opportunity to maybe work on a single, perhaps as a dedication to all our loyal fans.”
Listen to Cenderawasih on Spotify.